


Ride or Die or Fake Dating

by Ihateallergies



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/F, Fake Dating, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Romance, School Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 15:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7469148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ihateallergies/pseuds/Ihateallergies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry needs a favor from Cisco.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this fro Barrisco month or something, I don't remember. I only just finished the first chapter 15 minutes ago.

Barry was a grown, adult man of 27 years old. He was past the juvenile behaviors of 10 years ago. Except, when you were suddenly thrust back into the presence of those people from your formative years, it was easy to fall back into old habits.

His bullies hadn't changed. Or maybe they had and they were falling prey to old rhythm’s just like him. Whatever the case, Barry found them ganging up on him and he found himself desperately lying just to save face.

“No I'm not single,” he lied. He hadn't been on a date in over year. To be fair, being the Flash did keep him busy, but it wasn't like he could give this explanation to Vince Shaw, Wade Peterson and Jack Humphrey, three real estate agents of varying success.

“Oh my god, don't tell me you got with Flat-Chest-West,” Vince laughed, face red from either amusement or that 4th beer.

There were so many things he wanted to correct about that statement, but he decided to fix the one that would get him in the most trouble. “Uh no, I'm not with _award-winning journalist_ West,” he said glancing toward her. He knew that Iris probably wouldn't care, but if it ever got back to Linda, she'd probably get drunk and try to fight him

He glanced over to Cisco, who was currently standing vigil at the trail mix bar, except he ignored all the savory ingredients, leaving him with a little plastic cup filled to the brim with M&Ms. Barry couldn't help his smile.

“Ah ha!” Peterson yelled triumphantly, and Barry felt that smile slide right off his face. “I knew it! I knew Allen was gay!”

Apparently they weren't too drunk to follow Barry’s gaze and completely misinterpret his expression. “Actually…” He began, then stopped. What was he going to say? That his totally hot significant other who totally existed just couldn't come today because they got sick? They'd call him out on it immediately, and it would end up worse than if he actually just told the truth. He couldn't. “... Actually, I'm bi.”

“I gotta meet the guy who puts up with Allen on a regular basis,” Vince said.

And, yeah, Barry was half expecting some homophobic comment, so he was pleasantly surprised, but-

“You want to meet him?” Barry squeaked and they all laughed.

“Ha! He sounded just like he did 10 years ago,” Jack laughed.

“Come on! You aren't ashamed of us are you?”

Ashamed wasn't the right word, he didn't say. “I, uh, yeah, let me just, um…” Barry walked as quickly as non-meta humanly possible to Cisco.

Cisco didn't even go here. He wasn't even Barry’s plus 1. Linda couldn't go because she was busy covering a baseball game and between being the Flash and the CCPD, Barry wasn't sure until an hour before hand if he would make it. Since Iris didn't want to go alone, Cisco agreed to accompany her.

She'd also dressed him too judging by his tailored suit. Not that Iris was superficial or wanted to impress anyone; she just believed in presenting a united front.

“Hey, Barr-”

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

For what felt like an eternity, but was actually probably just his his powers instinctively kicking in, Cisco stared at Barry. Then he glanced to the three that had no doubt recovered from his abrupt departure and were on their way. He felt his heart rate tick up. Cisco met his eyes again, and Barry didn't know what he saw, but it must have been right because he took the hand that wasn't clutching M&Ms and interlaced their fingers, standing on his toes so that he could brush a kiss to Barry’s cheek.

“Aww, isn't that cute?” Vince almost sneered.

Cisco's smile twitched nearly imperceptibly. “Hey, Barry. Who are your friends?”

The speedster stumbled through introductions, brain a little fried because he hadn't expected Cisco to catch on so damn quickly. The engineer was even doing a better job at selling it than he was; like it was his plan to begin with.

Cisco hummed. “He never mentioned you before.” There was an awkward sort of pause, but he didn't let it linger for too long. “So what do you do?”

As they talked, Cisco caressed the back of his hand with gentle circular strokes, and damn, he was selling it, even to the smallest detail. Every so often, he'd lean into Barry’s side and glance up at him with a soft smile that Barry had only seen a few times before and never directed at him. Cisco damn near had him fooled, let alone his former bullies.

“...isn't that right, Bear?” Cisco asked just as Barry was getting too comfortable with the way that Cisco felt pressed into his side.

“Hmm, what?”

“I said we met when I the CCPD hired me to make anti metahuman technology.”

“Oh, right.” He said, trying to get his head back in the game. So far, Cisco was doing all the heavy lifting. “It was blur, really. One day, I just opened my eyes, and there he stood, singing Poker Face.”

Cisco flashed him a real, knowing smile at that, and Barry felt something flip flop in his chest. “Well Poker Face is such a good song.”

His bullies seemed to regret their decision in meeting Cisco. He was pulling off a level of charm that Barry didn't know he had in him, he even threw in some sly boasts about Barry’s accomplishments. “How many solved cases did you have last year? One hundred thirteen?”

“Wow Allen, you married up, I guess,” Peterson said glumly. They'd obviously wanted someone else to pick on, but Cisco wasn't having any of it.

“We're not married.”

“Not yet, anyway. He's always been a free spirit, but I'll marry him when he's ready.”

* * *

 

“Dude, they're gone. You don't have to hold my hand anymore.” Barry said, even though he really didn't want to let go. Their fit felt natural already.

“I know people like that,” he said through a mouthful of M&Ms. “They're probably gonna be watching us all night, waiting for you to slip up. They're already pretty salty that I pulled off the boyfriend thing so well.”

Barry couldn't tell him just how well he’d pulled it off. He was so convincing that, deep down, he had Barry believing that this was what he wanted, that he wanted to be with him. Cisco just made everything about this feel right.

And okay, maybe it was just his being lonely that dragged this out of him. Maybe subconscious attached to the first bit of romantic attention that was thrown his way in about a year, but Barry didn't really feel it was that. With his amazing friends, he didn't really feel starved for attention at all. He and Iris were as close as ever, but since she started dating Linda, he'd been spending a lot more time with Cisco, whether at the lab, the CCPD or just at one of their respective apartments having weekend long movie marathons. He enjoyed that time the most.

…

Oh no.

Barry was falling for his friend. Had fallen for him for who knows how long, mistaking his desire to see him almost every day for simple friendship.

And here Cisco was, pretending to be his boyfriend, hand intertwined with his, leg even brushing up against his under the table. It was fake, sure, but Barry would soak this up and enjoy it for as long as he could. He was almost mad at himself for spending the first 20 minutes bewildered, but he would not waste the rest of the night.

Barry leaned into him, finally remembering how boyfriends acted with one another. “Did I ever say thank you for doing this?” He asked.

Cisco reddened a little, but didn't pull away. Barry hoped he didn't make him uncomfortable by finally getting into this. “It's no worries, Barry. We're team Flash. Ride or die.”

Warmth spread through Barry's chest. “Or fake dating,” he giggled.

Cisco laughed along with him. “Yeah they usually kept that part out of the hip hop songs.”

“Yeah, just didn't flow the same.”

Iris chose just that moment to walk- well stumble up to the table, practically falling into her chair. She stuffed a salami cream cheese roll into her mouth and chewed, staring unblinkingly at the two men before her.

Barry froze. Couldn't move or didn't want to. Cisco only squeezed his hand gently.

Iris glanced at their joined hands as she swallowed her food. “I knew it. I knew it. Finally.”

Shit. Barry should have known. Iris knew him better than anyone, even himself, apparently. Of course she would notice that Barry had been secretly falling for Cisco for who knew how long.

He pulled his hand away rather quickly, sitting up straight. “It's not what it looks like,” he said a little too quickly. “Cisco is just doing me a favor.”

Iris nodded. “Right. Linda does me _‘favors’_ all the time.”

Barry face palmed. That was more than he needed to know about them. Ever. It was more than Iris ever usually shared. “Iris, how much have you had to drink?”

“Not enough,” she said, side eyeing the open bar.

Cisco arched an eyebrow at her. “What's wrong? You usually don't drink like a fish.”

She sighed. “I miss Linda.” Her voice sounded dangerously close to tears.

Barry smiled. “I'm sure she misses you, too.”

“Come on, Barry,” Cisco said. “We should get her home before she breaks out in a rendition of ‘Stay High.’”

* * *

 

They had to leave early to get Iris back safely, which Barry regretted mostly because it meant that the charade was over. He no longer got to be Cisco’s boyfriend. Pretend boyfriend.

Iris drove, so Cisco was stranded at her apartment without a way to get back to his place.

“Can I run you home?” Barry offered. “It's the least I can do after tonight.”

“Actually, I ordered an Uber while you tucked Iris in,” he said coolly.

Barry blinked. Cisco almost never turned down a high speed ride. “Oh… Okay,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Well, um, movie night tomorrow?”

Cisco tucked his hair behind his ears. “Sorry dude, I, uh, I have to get some dampening cuffs done by Sunday. You know how Captain Singh can be.”

Barry’s shoulders drooped, just as the Uber pulled into Iris’ parking lot. “Oh, well, okay. See you Monday, then, I guess.” Cisco only nodded. “And thanks again. For tonight, I mean.”

“Don't worry about it,” Cisco said as he slid into the back of the car. “I was only doing you a favor.”

Barry flinched as Cisco slammed the door shut, watching as the car sped away.

He couldn't help but shake the feeling that he fucked up supremely. He couldn't stop himself from enjoying Cisco as a boyfriend too much and now he’d made their friendship awkward all just because he couldn't act like an adult. He just hoped that Cisco could forgive him and his feelings so they could go back to the way things were.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep them wanting more. I'm bad at that (or mayhaps *too* good at it). As soon as I finish writing and editing I want to get it out there. I don't believe in upload schedules. Unfortunately for ya'll, that means I have fics that I haven't even thought about in years, but it also means that I'll post the entirety of a multichapter fic within the span of 12 hours. Luckily for you, this that second thing.

Cisco wasn’t avoiding Barry.

Okay, yeah. He was. But was it really avoiding someone if you saw them constantly at your two shared jobs? While at work Cisco followed every protocol. He worked with him at the CCPD to come with ideas to combat the evil metas, and at Star Labs, he did his very best to keep Barry safe, but outside of that, they hadn’t hung out in over a week. Not since Barry and Iris’ ten-year high school reunion.

 _Just doing him a favor._ It was true, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. And he wasn’t even mad at Barry. He was mad at himself for letting himself hope beyond hope that maybe Barry was beginning to feel the same things he’d been feeling for months. It wasn’t Barry’s fault that he couldn’t return Cisco’s feelings.

Still, he couldn’t stop isolating himself from Barry, not because he didn’t want to see him, but because he wanted to see him too much. Cisco could see it taking a toll on him; had to avoid the hurt puppy dog look in Barry’s eyes or he might break. It may have hurt now, but if Barry knew what was going through Cisco’s head, he’d understand.

He was trying to ‘quit’ Barry, cold turkey. Lack-of-exposure therapy was the only way he could think of to tamp down his feelings for Barry. Maybe he could come back and their friendship to go to the way things used to be once looking at Barry’s face stopped making him feel heartsick. Honestly, he didn’t know how he’d kept his feelings in check before. He definitely couldn’t do it now, not when he knew what he was missing. Unless he managed to cure himself.

“Hey Cisco, want to come over and play GTA V?” Barry invited, as he had invited almost every day for the past week.

Cisco looked down at his computer so he wouldn’t have to see Barry’s hurt face. “Um, nah, dude. I’m having dinner with Dante tonight.”

“Oh, okay.” His hurt voice was just as bad. Cisco had to clench his toes to stop himself from taking it back. Their friendship would thank him in the end. “I’ll see you Monday, then. Night, Cisco. Night, Caitlin.”

“Good night, Barry,” Caitlin called from her hunched position over her microscope. Barry flashed out of the cortex and papers flew all around. “You know, it’s funny,” Caitlin said after Barry had been gone for five minutes.

“What’s funny?” Cisco asked, a little lost. He hadn’t actually been doing anything, he just trying to justify why he couldn’t hang out with Barry for the time being.

“I mean I could have sworn that you told me that Dante had a gig in Keystone City tonight.”

He tucked his hair behind his ears. “I mean yeah, I’m going to see his show and then were going to have dinner.”

Catlin eyed the watch on her wrist. “You’re going to make it to Keystone City in 45 minutes?”

“…He’ll be on for a few hours so I don’t have to be exactly on time,” he hedged. Truthfully, it didn’t really matter because his plans for tonight was to go home, eat ice cream and go over the reasons in his head why Barry wasn’t loveable. So far, he’d only had on bullet point: the stench Barry left on their suit after running.

“Mmhmm,” Caitlin said, disbelieving.

She didn’t add anything but he still felt defensive. “Geez, what’s with the third degree, Phoenix Wright?”

“I mean I’ve just watched you turn down every offer to hang out Barry put out there for the past 6 days, when usually, it’s you inviting him over.”

“I’ve been busy,” Cisco lied. The only thing he was busy with was trying not to hang out with Barry.

“And you’ve both seemed subdued recently,” she added. “You haven’t referenced pop culture nearly as much as you used to, and your candy consumption is down 40%, which, on any other day, I would have been thrilled about, and-”

“Wait, you keep record of how much candy I eat?”

She ignored him. “-And, Barry’s been doing that ‘sad eyes’ thing,” she said, sitting up now. “You know that thing he does that makes strangers want to feed him hot chocolate and curse whoever hurt him-”

“Yeah,” Cisco interrupted. “I’m familiar with the look.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Cisco bit his lip. Part of him wanted to somehow steal Barry’s powers and speed away, but even if that was in the physical realm of possibility, Caitlin would find him. Caitlin always found out. “Okay so, at Barry’s high school reunion, he asked me to pretend to be his boyfriend because these guys were being total ass holes.”

Caitlin shrugged. “Okay. You did the same thing for me countless times when guys would hit on me just after Ronnie died.”

“Ok yeah, but this was different.”

“Different how? Because it was between to men?”

Cisco was offended that she’d even think that. “Of course not! You know that if I believe in face tattoos, I’d get ‘pansexual’ written across my forehead in capital letters.”

Caitlin made a face at the thought. “Yeah, I know. So if that’s not the problem, then what is it?”

“The problem is,” he began, then he paused. Putting out there, putting it in words to another human being made it real. If he told Caitlin, he couldn’t get over it quietly by himself and then blame his change in behavior on being replaced by a body snatcher. Still, he supposed he had to be real about this with his best friend in the entire world. “The problem is I don’t want it to be pretend.”

Caitlin’s face transformed from surprised to sympathetic to confused in the span of two seconds. “So you have a crush on Barry so you’re ignoring him?”

“You don’t have to make it sound like I’m negging him or something,” he said, eyebrow furrowed.

“I’m not, I guess I’m just confused by your strategy? This is not how you date people.”

“I’m not trying to date him,” Cisco said sadly. “Barry made it very clear to me that he was not interested.” The way he drew his hand and presence away as he told Iris it was just ‘a favor’ would forever be burned into his brain.

Caitlin’s face went back to sympathy. “Oh Cisco, I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, me too,” Cisco replied morosely.

* * *

 

Cisco and Caitlin had hung out all weekend, and while it was a good distraction, it did nothing to lessen the pain Cisco felt when he thought about Barry. It was raining cats and dogs, soaking Cisco from head to toe in chilly rain, and he couldn’t help but think that the storm came just so the weather could match his mood.

It was a CCPD morning, and all Cisco could think about was getting into the building and into a pair of the complimentary sweats they kept in the gym. That and a nice cup of coffee would do him some good.

He was bounding up the steps when the sight of Barry stopped him in his tracks. Barry wasn’t doing his sad eyes today. Hurt, yes, but he seemed angrier than anything. Cisco hoped beyond hope that Barry wasn’t waiting for him.

No such luck. Barry showed Cisco his phone, apparently uncaring that it was getting soaked in the rain. “I though you said you were having dinner with Dante on Friday?” He accused. Cisco’s frowned in confusion, then he looked closer at Barry’s phone. It was an Instagram post of him and Caitlin eating ice cream together.

Cisco’s heart sank, it never felt good to be caught in a lie, but at the same time, who was Barry to question him about his whereabouts? “Change of plans, geez!” Cisco huffed, arms folding. “I didn’t know I had to get your approval every time my calendar got rearranged.”

Barry frowned at him, searching his eyes before sighing. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything.” He slipped his phone in his pocket and turned to go inside.

Before Cisco could think, a hand reached out to stop him. “Wait, Barry.” He sighed through his nose. To get him ready for this. He couldn’t keep lying to Barry. Even if they weren’t dating, he didn’t deserve that. Yeah, so maybe they’re friendship may not survive him admitting his feelings, but he didn’t want any kind of relationship based on lies. “You’re not crazy, I did lie… I just… I couldn’t _just_ hang out with you. Not after the reunion.”

Barry looked like Cisco had just slapped him. Cisco didn’t feel much better. There was a chance that he and Barry wouldn’t be friends anymore after this. “I’m so sorry Cisco. This is my fault. If I just could have acted like an adult I wouldn’t have weirded you out-”

Cisco snorted. “You didn’t weird me out. I just couldn’t keep my feelings in check while ‘doing you a favor.’”

Barry faltered. “I- what? I don’t understand.”

“You’re going to make me say it aren’t you,” he huffed, pushing his soaking hair out of his face. “I like you. Have liked you for a while, and after last week, I got a taste of what I what I was missing and couldn’t go back to the way things were before. I think it’s worse because for I second there you almost had me fooled. I almost believed that you felt the same way. That is, until you reminded me and Iris that it was just a favor and shoved me away.”

After finally getting this off his chest to Barry, he felt lighter than he had all week. At least he did. The relief turned sour in his stomach as he waited for Barry to say something. Anything. Barry stood there in the pounding rain, gears turning in his head. “Dude,” Cisco said finally. “Please don’t leave me hanging. I’m dying here.

Barry connected eyes with him finally. “I’m dumb. I’m an idiot.”

“I… that’s not what I expected you to say, I’ll admit.”

“I only said that, because I thought Iris saw right through my feelings. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship by expecting too much of you.”

“Guh?” Cisco said eloquently. He heard what Barry said, it was just not computing.

“That night, when you were pretending to be my boyfriend, I realized just how much I wanted that. How much that pretend life we had for the night felt right.”

“I…Barry. For a couple of geniuses, we’re really freaking dumb.” Cisco couldn’t believe that he’d been torturing himself for the past week and a half when it turned out that Barry felt the same way about him.

Barry smiled. “So… is it too early to kiss you or…?”

Cisco scoffed. “Early? By my calculations,” he glanced at his smart watch. “This has been at least 8 months in the making. Give or take an hour.”

Cisco stood on his toes and met Barry’s mouth with his own.

He’d imagined kissing Barry more times than he’d like to admit, but nothing compared to the real thing. His lips were soft, and his hands were a firm pressure on either of his cheeks. Barry’s tongue swiped at his bottom lip, and Cisco opened his mouth to let him in. Their tongues danced and their teeth clacked and it was good and warm. Probably the warmest part of either of them.

He wasn’t sure how long they stood there kissing on the front steps of the police department, but they only pulled apart when a violent shiver wracked Cisco’s body.

“Come on, let’s get inside before Singh starts to yell at me for being late, too,” Cisco said. “I don’t need that stress in my life.”

Barry laughed. “Okay, sounds like a plan, but only if you promise not to avoid me later.”

Cisco gave him one last kiss before pulling him into the building. “Never again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ya'll. You kind find me everywhere @lun3lla. Right now I'm currently drooling over the new Kid Flash pictures and still threatening to fight Greg Berlanti for some reason or another


End file.
